The Long Drive

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2,594th out of 2,934 tested combos in The Long Drive. This places the pairing in the bottom 12% of all configurations, a position that reflects the significant imbalance between the CPU and GPU components. The data shows a system where the processor has ample headroom while the graphics solution consistently limits frame rates across most settings and resolutions, making this combo more suitable for users with modest performance expectations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2,594 out of 2,934 is a clear indicator of where this pairing sits in the broader database. With 340 combos performing worse, this configuration is not at the absolute bottom, but it remains firmly in the lower quartile of tested systems. The ranking reflects the GPU's 9th percentile standing among all GPUs, which drags the overall combo down despite the CPU's much stronger 73rd percentile position.

Benchmark results indicate that this pairing is heavily bottlenecked by the graphics component. The Intel Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1,482 places it near the very bottom of the GPU hierarchy, while the Ryzen 5 5500's average score of 19,593 positions it as a mid-range processor. This disparity explains why the combo rank is so low: the system is only as strong as its weakest component, and in this case, that is clearly the GPU.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 with a score of 19,617 (0.1% faster), the Intel Core i5-12500 at 19,668 (0.4% faster), and the Intel Core i7-10700F at 19,499 (0.5% slower). These small deltas show that the Ryzen 5 5500 is competitive with other mid-range processors, but this CPU strength does little to boost the combo's overall ranking when paired with such a weak GPU.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 operates as an integrated graphics solution with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2,500 MHz. It features 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The GPU's memory is system shared, meaning it draws from the same DDR4 pool as the CPU rather than having dedicated VRAM.

The card's pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. Floating point performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 and 15.36 TFLOPS for FP16 with a 2:1 ratio. These specifications produce a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482, which places the GPU in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals in this score range are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1,463 (1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1,460 (1.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1,446 (2.5% slower).

The system-shared memory architecture means bandwidth is system dependent, which becomes a critical factor in The Long Drive. The game's driving simulation likely requires consistent memory bandwidth, and sharing system memory between CPU and GPU creates contention that affects frame delivery. The Arc B390's 80 W TDP and IGP slot width indicate it is designed for low-power integration rather than high-performance gaming.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that highlights the GPU as the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 95 FPS, but this drops to 63 FPS at 1440p and 35 FPS at 4K. This represents a 34% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 44% further reduction from 1440p to 4K, showing that the GPU struggles as pixel count increases.

The Medium settings row tells a similar story. At 1080p, the system manages 78 FPS, which falls to 51 FPS at 1440p and 29 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are consistent: roughly 35% from 1080p to 1440p and another 43% from 1440p to 4K. This linear scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario where the integrated graphics simply cannot keep up with higher resolutions.

High settings show even more dramatic scaling. The 1080p result of 49 FPS drops to 32 FPS at 1440p (35% reduction) and then to 18 FPS at 4K (44% reduction from 1440p). Ultra settings are particularly revealing: 34 FPS at 1080p falls to 22 FPS at 1440p and just 12 FPS at 4K. The consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that resolution scaling is uniform, confirming the GPU is the primary bottleneck rather than the CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 95 FPS, making this the only configuration that approaches high refresh rate territory. Medium settings deliver 78 FPS with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS, providing a playable experience with some headroom. High settings drop to 49 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 34 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degradation is significant. Low settings still manage 63 FPS, which remains playable for most users. Medium settings average 51 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS, offering a reasonable experience. High settings drop to 32 FPS, and Ultra falls to 22 FPS, both of which are marginal for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles across all settings. Low settings produce 35 FPS, which is borderline playable but not smooth. Medium settings average 29 FPS with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 33 FPS, indicating inconsistent frame delivery. High settings drop to 18 FPS, and Ultra falls to 12 FPS, both of which are below acceptable playability thresholds.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Long Drive?

A: The data shows 1080p is the only resolution where the system consistently exceeds 30 FPS across all settings. At 1440p, only Low and Medium settings maintain playable frame rates, while 4K is only viable on Low settings.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1,482 is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, and 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 5500 ranks in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, while the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The consistent frame rate drops across resolutions confirm the GPU limits performance.

Q: What settings provide the most consistent frame rates?

A: Medium settings at 1080p deliver 78 FPS average with a minimum of 66 FPS and maximum of 90 FPS. At 1440p, Medium produces 51 FPS average with a minimum of 44 FPS. These are the only configurations with both min and max FPS recorded.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500's average benchmark score of 19,593 is 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i5-12500, and 0.5% higher than the Intel Core i7-10700F.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings at any resolution?

A: No. The highest Ultra setting result is 34 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 22 FPS at 1440p and 12 FPS at 4K. None of these are consistently playable, with the 4K Ultra result being particularly low.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture with the Cezanne codename. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, using a 7 nm process from TSMC. The CPU features 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 16 MB of L3 cache, with memory support for DDR4 in a dual-channel configuration providing 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth.

In multi-threaded workloads, the CPU scores 16,429 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2,319 in Cinebench R23 singlecore. The 3DMark results show 5,386 for 16 threads and 5,411 for max threads, indicating that the CPU scales well with additional threads. PassMark multithread score is 19,330, while the single-thread score is 3,058, demonstrating balanced performance across both types of workloads.

The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, combined with its average benchmark score of 19,593, places it in the mid-range category. The nearest rivals show tight competition: the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 scores 19,617 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i5-12500 scores 19,668 (0.4% higher), and the Intel Core i5-11600KF scores 19,723 (0.7% higher). The Intel Core i7-10700F scores 19,499 (0.5% lower), showing this CPU holds its own against both newer and older competitors.

In The Long Drive, the CPU's capabilities are largely untapped. The GPU bottleneck means the processor is rarely challenged, which explains why the system's performance is so closely tied to the graphics settings and resolution rather than CPU workload. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration with 16 MB of L3 cache provides ample processing power for this driving simulation.

Settings Recommendations

The data suggests that Medium settings at 1080p offer the best balance of performance and visual quality. With an average of 78 FPS, a minimum of 66 FPS, and a maximum of 90 FPS, this configuration provides smooth gameplay with minimal frame dips. The recorded min and max values show consistent frame delivery that is preferable to the higher average but less stable results possible at other settings.

For users prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, Low settings at 1080p deliver 95 FPS, which is the highest average recorded for this combo. This setting is particularly suitable for users with high refresh rate displays, as it approaches the 100 FPS threshold. However, the visual compromise may not be worth the 22% frame rate improvement over Medium settings.

At 1440p, Medium settings provide the best experience with an average of 51 FPS and a minimum of 44 FPS. While this is not as smooth as 1080p Medium, it remains playable for most users. The 44 FPS minimum is acceptable, though users sensitive to frame drops may prefer to stay at 1080p.

Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution. The best Ultra result is 34 FPS at 1080p, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 12 FPS result at 4K Ultra is unplayable, and even 1440p Ultra's 22 FPS is too low for a driving simulation that requires responsive controls.

High settings present a middle ground that may appeal to users with less demanding preferences. At 1080p, High delivers 49 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. At 1440p, High drops to 32 FPS, making it marginal. The 18 FPS at 4K High is not recommended. Given these results, Medium at 1080p or 1440p represents the optimal configuration for most users, balancing visual quality with playable frame rates.